President Donald Trump has said he always believed National Security Adviser Mike Waltz played a role in the controversial Signal chat leak that exposed internal discussions among senior officials. Speaking to reporters, Trump acknowledged that while Waltz had not acted maliciously, he had long suspected that Waltz was involved in the chain of events that led to the breach.
The leaked messages, which revealed private conversations concerning national security and political coordination, have drawn scrutiny over both the content of the discussions and the vulnerability of encrypted communication tools used by government personnel.
Trump said that from the early stages of the investigation, he felt Waltz may have been the original source or a key link in the chain of exposure—though he reiterated that he believes Waltz acted without harmful intent and was under pressure in a fast-moving environment.
Despite the controversy, Trump made it clear he does not support punishing Waltz. Instead, he emphasized that the situation should serve as a learning moment for future handling of sensitive communications, particularly in an administration focused on maintaining internal discipline.
Waltz has previously accepted responsibility for his involvement in the chat but denied intentionally leaking information. Internal reviews are still underway, with staff working to assess how the secure group messages were compromised and who had access at the time of the breach.
The former president reaffirmed his commitment to improving operational security and said procedures for internal communications will be re-evaluated to avoid similar incidents going forward.